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mini trifle dish of orange Jello with spoon and boxes of instant Jello mix behind it

How to Make Jello

Step by step instructions for how to make Jello straight from the box. Easy recipe and ideas for any flavor. Top with Cool Whip and make it dessert!
4.65 from 17 votes
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Course: No Bake Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 16kcal
Author: Mel Lockcuff

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the powdered gelatin into a medium mixing bowl.
  • Add boiling water to the gelatin mix, and stir for 2 minutes until it's completely dissolved.
  • Stir in the cold water.
  • Refrigerate the gelatin mixture for at least 4 hours, or until the gelatin is firm and doesn't stick to your fingers.
  • Once your Jello has firmed up, it's ready to eat. If you're making it for dessert, you can scoop some into a dish and top it off with whipped cream or Dream Whip.

Video

Notes

How to Make Jello Set Faster
Jello does have a “speed-set method,” and this cuts the set-up time significantly.
To make Jello set faster, you need to follow these instructions instead:
  1. Dissolve the gelatin mix in 3/4 cup boiling water.
  2. Add ice cubes to 1/2 cup cold water to make 1 1/4 cups.
  3. Stir the cold water into the gelatin until it's slightly thickened.
  4. Then just remove any unmelted ice cubes, and refrigerate for 30 to 90 minutes, or until firm.
Can You Speed up the Process by Putting Jello in the Freezer?
You can put Jello in the freezer for maybe 20 minutes or so, but you don't want it to freeze at all, because freezing Jello will ruin it. When frozen, Jello can lose its ability to gel and turn into a watery, goopy mess. Personally, I wouldn't go this route.
If you really want to cool it faster, you can place your mixing bowl into a larger ice water bath while stirring, being careful that the rim of your Jello bowl doesn't go beneath the water. Then as it begins to thicken, stick it in the fridge to finish setting up.
Can you Cover Jello Before It Sets?
You can cover it with plastic wrap, but just know that it may take it longer to set up if it's covered, especially if the Jello is still warm.
How to Mold Jello
Instead of just letting it set up in one big bowl, use fun and interesting molds.
Pour the Jello liquid into small shot glasses, smaller serving bowls or dessert cupscandy molds, a bundt cake pan, or a more decorative Jello mold immediately after mixing and before it thickens. Make a Jello brain, a holiday wreath, or Jello Christmas trees.
Keep in mind, if you're using a bigger mold, you'll likely need to use more than 1 box of Jello mix. And to remove the Jello from the mold, you'll need to immerse (but not all the way) your Jello mold in warm water for a few seconds.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Sodium: 24mg | Sugar: 3g
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